OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the efficacy of BBR 3464 in terms of response rate in patients with sensitive or refractory metastatic small cell lung cancer. II. Determine the duration of response and time to progression in patients treated with this drug. III. Determine the overall survival of patients treated with this drug. IV. Determine the incidence and severity of toxic effects of this drug in this patient population. V. Determine the pharmacokinetics of this drug in this patient population.